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And we are back! We went to the Hollywood Bowl last week and it was good fun! We’re having a heatwave again in Los Angeles and it’s been 90 degrees+ and into the 100s on some days. So, it has stayed warm at night and it was really perfect weather for an outdoor concert.

“West Side Story” at the Hollywood Bowl

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performing “West Side Story” at the Hollywood Bowl on a Tuesday evening in July!

“West Side Story” at the Hollywood Bowl

We were invited to the Bowl again. Well, there was a “small” brush fire on the mountain across the 101 freeway at Cahuenga Blvd from the venue at 4pm and we watched on the television as the Los Angeles Fire Department responded and made quick work of it!

Fire on the Mountain! (That yellow dot is three firefighters)

By 5:30pm the fire was out, they were handling the hot spots and traffic was f*cked. So we left the San Fernando Valley for Hollywood at about 6pm. After some miles of “stop and go” traffic, the Highland exit ramp jam and Lot B parking ($20 cash) we were walking past the crowd of picnickers that occupy any convenient spot they can find out front at 7pm.

Picnickers Out Front at the Hollywood Bowl for “West Side Story”

NOTE: It wasn’t as crowded as usual! It was a Tuesday night and a lot of people must have stayed home to watch the Republican National Convention night #2 from Cleveland, Ohio. Of course, that meant more people arrived around 8pm as the performance was starting…

We decided to go directly to our seats (Super Seats! not benches) behind the light and sound booth and have our dinner there instead of going to one of the picnic areas. And picnicking at the Hollywood Bowl in the super seats or bench seating is even more of a challenge than dining in one of the boxes because you have no table and very limited space.

Picnic time! On the Menu: Roast beef sandwich, veggie chips, dill pickle, bottled water and 1/4 of a chocolate tart from Sweet Lady Jane. We remembered to take a pic just before finishing the sandwich, but didn’t take one of the sides and desserts. We also brought red and white wine, a bottle of bubbly water, carrots, cole slaw, a rice dish and a berry cobbler.

Roast Beef Sandwich and Veggie Chips

Show time! The orchestra took the stage a little after 8pm, just as the sun was setting. They always begin with the “Star Spangled Banner” (note the flags flying at half mast).

“West Side Story” at the Hollywood Bowl

Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing under a full moon on a warm summer evening in Southern California, no complaints here.

“West Side Story”

The musical “West Side Story” has special meaning for us. We participated in building and and presenting a production on the Performing Arts MainStage at UC Santa Cruz in Spring of 1986.

Directed by Michael Edwards
I was a Set Builder, Costumer and then Wardrobe Master for the run of show.
I also did the hair/makeup and hand inked tattoos for the actors.

The Jets were “Glam Punks” circa early 1980’s in ripped denim and studded leather.
The Sharks were 1970’s “Cholos” complete with bandanas, pleated flannels, pressed white t-shirts and tan khakis. The Shark girls were hot!

A truly professional production with a live band, great singing and dancing and a truly amazing set design! The program cover above is one of the design sketches, but the freeway was left unfinished with exposed rebar extending out over the audience and then we added chain link fencing, lots of graffiti and debris for texture.

CLICK ON ANY SMALL PIC TO SEE A LARGER PIC AND VIEW THE GALLERY!

Very proud of this production and the work we did. Also of note is the level of talent and the future professional career paths of some of the participants.

The food was okay, but not great. I was not impressed by the roast beef sandwich (might have been better with mustard) or the bread puddings, and what can you really say about a “to go” caesar salad? It was fine for what it was, but the food was overpriced and I hate the plastic packaging.

NOTE: The people in the box behind us were still having their picnic during the first act, and decided to pack their trash and turn their chairs around after the program began. **FINISH YOUR PICNIC BEFORE THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER BEGINS!!!!!**

It was a short program! The Bruch Concerto was beautiful and Beethoven’s 7th was very well done, but needed to build more before the finish, in my opinion. The concert was over and we were back to the car and on the freeway before 10:30pm.

It was a lovely evening with wonderful music on a beautiful, warm summer night. I had a nice picnic dinner and listened to first-rate musicians perform classical pieces in a fantastic environment. Happy Birthday to Me!

Q: Where’s the Best Place to see Fourth of July Fireworks in Los Angeles?

A: Here’s my short list of Independence Day events for 2015:

Grand Park BLOCK PARTY! July 4, 2015 >>> 3:00 pm – 9:30 pm

200 North Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90012

FREE! www.grandparkla.org #GO4THDTLA

FIREWORKS!

From the Grand Park website:

LOS ANGELES!Grand Park is the place to celebrate together with music, food, and an incredible fireworks display launched from the civic center skyline. Grab the best friends, the whole family, and main squeezes and enjoy a bit of togetherness under the beautiful Angeleno sky. **Safety for everyone is número uno. Please read all event info to know what to bring and what to leave at home:**

PICNIC and OUTSIDE FOOD is welcome. SIZE OF BAGS AND BACKPACKS/TOTES and COOLERS must be standard backpack size or smaller (16.75 inches x 13 inches x 8.5 inches). NO OUTSIDE BEVERAGES including juice and soda. ONLY EMPTY (non glass) WATER BOTTLES allowed. FREE WATER FILLING STATIONS will be available in the event space, provided by LADWP, in addition to several booths with water for sale. HANDHELD UMBRELLAS allowed, no tents, large umbrellas or anything that spikes into the ground

NOTE:This will be an alcohol-free event: no beer garden or point of purchase / no outside alcohol permitted in event space. All bags will be checked.

SCHEDULE:Doors open at 3pm for early birds (no prior admittance). Rooftop fireworks show at 9pm. Event ends at 9:30pm.

The Rose Bowl Stadium and outside the Rose Bowl – Pay to see the 89th Annual “Americafest” show inside, pay for parking to see the fireworks show from the outside. It’s the biggest and longest running 4th of July party in the L.A. area.

Join in celebrating our nation’s independence with the 89th Annual Fourth of July Celebration at AMERICAFEST! The largest fireworks show in Southern California!

FIREWORKS!

2 PM: Festival begins outside the stadium (parking lots open at 9am)

There will be food vendors, entertainment, crafts, exhibits and inflatable rides for the kids outside the stadium starting at 2 pm and closing following the fireworks. Fanfest is located in Area H southeast of the Rose Bowl marquee sign.

Live Motorcycle Stunts by TNT Action Sports

Celebrating, “The 50th Anniversary of when Elvis Met the Beatles in Los Angeles”

9 PM: Fireworks Spectacular! produced by Pyrospectaculars by Souza

In celebration of the upcoming Universal Pictures “Minions” movie there will be a viewing of “Despicable Me 2” on the videoboard directly following the fireworks.

General Admission $13 Reserved Seating $25 TicketMaster 800-745-3000

General Admission children 5 years and under will be admitted free. Reserved Seating children 2 years and under require a ticket in these sections.

Day of event tickets will be available 10am– 9pm at the ticket booth at Gate B. Before 2pm guests may park in Lot B at no charge for 15 minutes to purchase tickets and leave or they can pay to park in any general parking lot and remain. After 2pm guests will be required to pay to park in general parking as directed to purchase tickets. After 2pm there are no in-and-out privileges.

Active military who present a valid Military ID will gain free admittance (up to 4 per family). Tickets can be obtained from the ticket booth at Gate B beginning at 3pm on July 4th only. Veterans who present a valid Military ID will gain free admittance (1 ticket only). Tickets can be obtained from the ticket booth at Gate B beginning at 3pm on July 4th only.

Parking is $25 per car payable at the parking lots. Advanced parking for $20 per car will be available at the Rose Bowl Will Call Booth by Gate B beginning Sunday, June 28; hours-10am to 5pm; everyday through July 3.

Parking lots will open to the general public starting at 9am on July 4. Guests will be directed to the closest available lot.

For your safety and the enjoyment of all, we ask that you please help by observing the tailgating guidelines. (READ THE RULES!)

Pasadena Police and Pasadena Fire Departments will be patrolling the lots. There is a zero tolerance policy regarding illegal fireworks.

Smokey Robinson, the King of Motown will be headlining the three-day Independence Day celebration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a Fireworks Spectacular each night at the Hollywood landmark. July 2-4th, 7:30pm $15-$250 + fee

Celebrate the 4th of July in Marina del Rey with a spectacular fireworks show over the water! Fireworks are shot from a barge across the Marina’s main channel, lighting up the night sky and water below. The show begins at 9 pm and lasts approximately 20 minutes.

FIREWORKS!

Depending upon weather and cloud cover on the night of the show, the fireworks can usually be seen throughout the marina, and from the waterfront side of most hotels, restaurants, beaches, apartments and anchorages. Popular viewing locations include:

Fisherman’s Village, 13755 Fiji Way (2 blocks west of Lincoln Blvd.)Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way (1 block west of Admiralty Way)**This location will have speakers set-up near the Helmsman statue, allowing spectators to watch the display and listen to synchronized music Marina Beach (Mother’s Beach) 4101 Admiralty Way (1 block south of Washington Blvd.)

ParkingCome early! There is no on-street parking inside Marina del Rey. Parking is available in 14 self-pay public lots. Park early because most public parking spaces are filled by 6pm!

The Marina del Rey Visitors Center (at the corner of Mindanao & Admiralty) will also be open from 10am – 4pm with festive giveaways like complimentary flags , red & blue bead necklaces, and other items to celebrate the 4th!

There are many good options for the 4th of July in L.A., and there are many other smaller celebrations, both public and private events, happening all over Southern California. Check the local listings! LA Weekly, LAist, LA Times & google.

The Queen Mary and Disneyland have special events and extra-special fireworks for the holiday. Disneyland has special fireworks all week long!

Disneyland Fireworks!

The Dodgers are playing the Mets at Dodger Stadium at 4:15pm with Fireworks after the game, but we are BOYCOTTING the Dodgers until we can watch the games on television.

Saturday June 27 at 5pm –Corsair Stadium​ at Santa Monica Community College

SMC’s Independence Day Celebration, the biggest, most sensational patriotic community event on the Westside! Bring your family and friends to SMC for a star-spangled salute to our nation’s independence. Come early, picnic on the lawn, enjoy continuous entertainment and special exhibits (with plenty of refreshments available for purchase), and cap off the evening with a spectacular fireworks salute to America.

Celebrate America – June 27th, 2015 at Corsair Field at Santa Monica Community College

NOTE: I had a bit of “blog burnout” last week. Here is part two (still under construction):

Well, traffic was F* CKED of course! And I stack parked for $18. But I made it just in time!!!

SHOWTIME!

Orchestra Tuning! The incredible Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in concert! Some of the female musicians were wearing Marge’s blue hair-hats! Animated sequences from The Simpsons television show and movie were shown on the big screen and accompanied by the orchestra and other performers throughout the night. The lighting and animated projections on the bowl were perfectly designed for each act!

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The National Anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” is played before every concert.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Welcome by Matt Groenig and hello to Hank Azaria, the evening’s Host!

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Apu sings “Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?” (with Dancing Hot Dogs!):

Kwik-E-Mart! The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Beverly D’Angelo in costume as Lurline Lumpkin sings “I Gotta Homer”:

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Academy Award winning short film “The Longest Daycare” was shown accompanied by musical director and composer Hans Zimmer and the L.A. Philharmonic:

Traffic! The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

A SOLD OUT SHOW means terrible traffic if you’re going to the Hollywood Bowl, or if you’re unfortunate and get caught in the mess on the 101 freeway, Cahuenga, Highland, Franklin or Hollywood Boulevard before or after the performance.

Hollywood! The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

We got a late start, usually we like to arrive very early, and so it took 30 minutes from the Highland freeway offramp and cost $18 to finally park in the very full stacked parking lot.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Almost there!

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

It was definitely a PARTY CROWD! There was excitement in the air! People came to have a good time and I wasn’t the only one stuck in traffic, so there were a lot of people hurrying for their seats at 7:45pm.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Hollywood Bowl was decorated for the event! Inflatable donuts, the Duff Blimp, and a Giant Inflatable Three-Eyed Fish photo op greeted guests in the courtyard area! The ticket takers were wearing Sideshow Bob hair-hats. Cutout characters, an “Evolution of Homer” mural and a Simpsons Couch photo op lined the hillside as you entered.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Inflatable Donuts everywhere! Going in the ticket gate.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Cutouts and Fun Stuff decorating the Hollywood Bowl!

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Have your picture taken on the couch with The Simpsons! (but the line was too long)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

“Evolution of Homer” Mural!

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Get out the vaseline! Hollywood Bowl prices:

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

$ 4.00 plus tax for a Dasani Bottled Water. Really?

$4.00 + Tax for a bottled water at the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

This is a great sign! And they mean it too.

The Simpsons take the Hollywood Bowl (copyright 2014 JoshWillTravel)

Saturday was a warm summer night in September, (we’re having a serious heatwave) and just perfect weather for an evening concert! The decorations and ambient entertainment really created a sense of event and added to the excitement as the crowd headed for their seats at 8pm.

I didn’t go to the Burning Man festival. I enjoyed it from the comfort of my home office, rather than brave the elements of the Nevada desert. And in fact, I was invited on a whole different kind of desert trip this weekend, and decided not to risk life and limb (literally) in northern Nevada.

Adult Fireworks: my friends know how to throw a party (this is not my pic)

On The Menu: Ahi tuna poke, caesar salad, bread & butter, BBQ grilled shrimp, Tillamook mac’n’cheese, classic cheesecake with berries and whipped cream, a coke, and a double espresso. (Made steak the night before and had a steak sandwich for breakfast, so I went with the tuna and shrimp starters and mac’n’cheese side instead of the steak entree.

LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR, TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE WRITER/BLOGGER

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